Page 5 of Aiden & Lily

Her sister groaned again. “You’re lucky I want a wingman.” She slumped over, resting her elbows on her knees. “Jason’s wedding is coming up.”

“Mmhmm,” Lily murmured.

“You gonna bring someone?”

Lily glanced at her sister out of the corner of her eye. “Now who would I bring? I’m not dating anyone, and Reese already said he’ll likely be gone.”

“So you’re going to try to meet someone there?” Amusement laced Jasmine’s voice. “I got ya. Smart.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Lily asked with a laugh.

“You’re on the hunt. Am I wrong? Come on, Lils, I know you better than you know yourself. You live for this stuff.”

“What stuff?” Lily turned fully toward her sister, but her smile betrayed her. She knew exactly what Jasmine was going to say.

“The romance. Watching two people who are so desperately in love with each other that they’d move heaven and earth to be together.” Jasmine leaned closer. “You heard about Isabelle, right?”

Lily’s brows furrowed. “No. What?”

This was the Jasmine she knew and loved. The two of them were admittedly gossips, but only with each other. They never spread anything to anyone else. They just liked knowing enough to make their own predictions.

Jasmine leaned close enough to be heard over the crowd. “Isabelle was attacked a few years ago.”

Lily gasped, her eyes widening.

“Jason rescued her,” Jasmine said, her voice softer now. “Got her out of there before things went any further. He took her tothe hospital where Mathew worked at the time, and then he just left.”

“No,” Lily whispered.

Jasmine nodded. “He didn’t know her name or anything. Then when Mathew, Penny, and Jason moved here, he ended up getting a job at the Palmers’ place. And you know the rest.”

Lily sighed. As awful as the beginning of that story was, the ending still made her heart squeeze. Not because of what happened to Isabelle. But because someone had shown up when she needed help, and somehow, years later, that same someone had become her safe place.

“They fell in love,” Lily said softly.

“Yep. Nothing is going to tear them apart.”

“See?” Lily insisted. “I need something like that. Not the danger, obviously. But the devotion. I need to find a guy who will love me like the sun rises and sets with me.”

Jasmine scoffed. “Good luck finding one of those. I don’t think many of them exist.”

“Don’t rain on my parade, Jazz. I’m going to find someone who will do whatever it takes to have me. Just you wait.”

The chute across the arena banged open, and they both turned their attention to the man on the horse.

Lily squealed. “It’s him.”

“It’s… who?” Jasmine lifted a brow.

“Christopher Stone. He doesn’t compete very much, but he’s really good. The first time I came to the rodeo, I got to see him.”

“Is he hot?” Jasmine asked.

Lily rolled her eyes.

“What?” Jasmine asked. “If he’s hot, maybe we could go find him after he’s done. Then you can see if he checks all your boxes.”

A laugh spilled free. “He’s probably got more girls than he can handle. Do you see all of them hanging out over there?” Lilypointed toward a group of women in cowgirl hats, jean shorts, and button-up tops that had been knotted at their waists.